1. There are two key issues: A. If you use R-Brick need to force Mxxxx serial prefix onto Lxxxx prefix brick (ie move from 3000 -> 300) B. Have Serial Number Security enabled so you cannot clear serial number to kickoff reassignment (via L2 or other numalinked machine)

As 1.A issues is a result of using R-Brick and only permanent fix is to do Dallas chip swap, presume if using the later Numalink Router module then this problem will not exist as it expect Mxxxx serials not Lxxxx ?

The 1.B issue can be trivially avoided by simply reflashing L1 to older version, by first starting router stand alone and then doing resets etc as per documented work around, then do serial clear using old L1 ?

I know you can force flash older L1 as I went down from final L1 version (1.48.1 I think) to older versions to get all my chassis’s L1s aligned.

This assumes that Numalink Router Module will continue to operate and be flashable irrespective of what L1 version it is on as long as you start it standalone in first instance.

Am I missing something ?

Right now this is just a thought as I have no Numalink Router module and don’t really want to spend $$ on one if I get stuck with unsuable device.

Note: did eBay on old Dallas chip part , but they do not seem to be available, do any Nekochaners have spare chip (allowing for worst case with need for chip swap) ?

As the person who discovered & documented much of this initially, I can tell you that you're on the right track.

In general, the chip swap (or initialization if you're electronically inclined) at any level of the setup should fix your issues, but order matters. Do you have an L2 controller? This is often the easiest way to set a "Master" Serial number. If you set it at the controller, you can force each machine to copy it as you plug them in by replacing their Dallas chips as well. Note that this essentially resets ALL of the NVRAM settings so take care to preserve the original chip in case you need to go back, and you will have to reset everything, including potentially brick type by hand via the L1 interface.

Swapping or initializing the chip makes the system believe the the NVRAM has been corrupted, so by default it copies an adjacent serial number in order recover (adjacent in this case meaning from the L2 controller, or another NUMA connected device). AFAIK it doesn't matter what L1 version you're at, this should still work at least on the O300 systems. I have not tried it on the O350, but it should be pretty inexpensive to test if you're brave.

Most newish SGIs (3* series origin/onyx/altix at least) use the Dallas DS1742W-120 which is no longer manufactured and difficult to find. However, the DS1742W-120+ supersedes it, and it does work just fine. This one was relatively easy to procure (I bought several from Mouser Electronics a year or two ago for about $22 US each) so you might try looking for one of those.

In any case, I've found that L1 firmware version 1.22.4 (built 07/21/2003 10:58:05) supports all the features I require and is relatively compliant when it comes to these sorts of exercises. I highly recommend using an L2 controller (I'm using a physical one, but the virtual L2 for Linux may work as well) and resetting the serial on one device at a time so they all match before you try to cable them together. If you have any old Dallas chips from another SGI, those will often work as well (I initially did this hack with the L1 from a dead Fuel). Again, you can also initialize the chips you have, but I suggest finding at least one so you have a way back if you mess up the first time.

Note that, I should have been more clear in the first paragraph. You will likely need to reset the router *first* to match your serial numbers. I suggest using the one from the O350 that has the Base-IO board in it. Set that one to rack 1, node 1, then set the L2 to match that serial number (before you plug it into anything). That way everything will carry a legitimate O350 serial. Once you have the L2 controller and the first node working together, try replacing the chip in the router and watch the log in the L1. If successful, you should see it copy the serial number from either node 1 or the L2. Be sure it's plugged into the L2's USB port before you power it up for the first time after the swap.

From there, any nodes that have security enabled could be reset the same way, one at a time, until you get them all to match. Work slowly and take care to configure the rack and slot numbers appropriately on each node.

Doh. I wonder if there's another model that would be compatible. I expect that someone would have to spend a fair amount of time digging through spec sheets to figure that out....or harvest the chips from dead boxes. SGI's can't be the only application for these.

3. L2 , yes have 2. Both have serials in sync with O350 (Mxxxxxx), one at 1.48.0 (patchSG0007149), one at 1.40.1 (IRIX 6.5.29)

4. L3, yes have this installed on old PC and running fine, but now I have L2, I just directly Telnet to L2 from my Mac.

I am only using one L2 (other is spare) and have it connected to 2 x L1 USB for 2 separate configurations: [rackslot 01.01, 01.02 Numalink’ed] and [rackslot 01.03, 01.04 Numalink’ed + 01.05 CPU Less via XIO]

Reason I am looking at Numalink router is to join all these up into one (at which point I will also put spare IP59_4CPU board back into CPU less chassis).

Read all your (Zerolapse) contribution to thread and appreciate all testing and validation you have done.

Also did further search on eBay for Dallas chip and this time by only using part number found number of people still selling then. Ordered 5 for future safe keeping (as Dallas failure appears to be case of when rather than if).

My specific question is, can I avoid chip swap if using AC Numalink module (should already be happy with Mxxxxxx serials), rather than O3000 series R-Brick ?

You're most welcome! I'm glad someone is putting it to use. All of the variations of the R-Bricks/NumaLink Modules/Etc I've seen for the 3 series Origin systems also have serial number based security. The brick basically learns the serial the first time it's plugged in then won't allow you to change it via normal means. As far as I'm aware the only difference between the A/C Numalink module and the R brick is really just a power supply. So in short, yes, a chip swap or initialization is probably going to be required, unless you can come up with the unlock codes for the Brick. At this point, that will likely be far more difficult than the chip swap. The chip in the R-Brick is particularly easy to get to, it only really requires removal of the cover and it's right there (and socketed so there's no soldering required ).

I have a few of those DALLAS chips, I might have tossed one or two, but I'm saving them now. One day team IP35 is going to need to find out where to file down the case to graft in a new battery.

I haven't found a pin compatible replacement, I looked a while back the last time I saw this topic come up. Someone can search, but I think it's been over a year ago that we noted DigiKey and Mouser were down to their last ones, then done. Maxim says it's discontinued or whatever and there are no samples. Maybe if you want 100,000 of them they'll make you a run...so line up your 9,990 friends and we can all go in together and have 10 each.

I don't remember if I looked for something operationally compatible that could be put on an adapter board....that's something to consider.

if your dallas chips work I wouldn't worry too much about them - somewhere around her I used an arduino or teensy actually to read the contents - they're only like 2k of data so you can save it, fill it with FF and then rewrite whatever was originally on it if you need to. Heck, you might be able to rewrite the serial number and be done with it.